A new Starz series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand had all the right elements needed to ensure I’d check it out. As you can see for yourselves:
So what about the actual show, you might ask? Well, it’s not bad. There is a lot of intrigue, edgy fighting sequences, sexiness and sexuality galore, great costumes, good art direction, and fair visual effects.
The acting is a bright spot, as virtually all characters do a good or very good job, and the writing is quite good, although at times uneven. And uneven was the whole series actually, so much so that I was doubting whether I’d return for season 2 to the very end.
Then, the season 1 finale threw a double punch when the show went where no other show had gone before (SPOILER ALERT!! SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH) when they killed off half of the cast in an act of insurrection, getting rid of some of the best characters they had spent the season developing.
It’s certainly not HBO’s Rome in terms of the overall quality, but it’s worth checking out if you like swords-and-sandals epic shows.
A final nod to the show’s star, Andy Whitfield, who’s recently been diagnosed with cancer. Hopefully he’ll be able to recover fully from his illness.
Season 1 – Grade: 7
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